“Seeing is believing.” That’s a popular saying. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation knows
that Carrolltown back pain patients often want to see the source of their pain. (They believe they have pain by now!) Currently, imaging doesn’t always satisfy a patient’s desire to see the cause
if it’s due to an issue like chemical
irritation when disc material is on a nerve root, so imaging
can only go so far in meeting a patient’s desire to see what’s
going on. But Carrolltown back pain patients can believe that
their Carrolltown chiropractor will thoroughly explain to
them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to ease
that pain.
THE GOOD OF IMAGING
Today’s imaging recommendations
are all about reducing imaging exposure and
cost. The concern of radiation exposure is being dealt with by careful
examination of low back pain patients for more specific findings,
reducing radiation dose and doing more MRI
than CT. These changes in turn reduce the cost of
imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to no do imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation has followed the Cox Technic System of Spinal Pain Management which suggests holding off on imaging (in the absence of "red flags" which a thorough clinical examination finds) for 30 days during which time 50% improvement is sought. If 30 days pass without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are win-win situations for
Carrolltown back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your
Carrolltown chiropractor most of the time.
BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”
Other times (and Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation totally understands
this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and
drawings are one thing while imaging is a lot more personal.
When it comes to non-specific back pain, there is an added
layer of curiosity as it is “non-specific” and does not
always have a glaring reason for the pain. The
public and patients believe imaging helps determine the back
pain condition. They are not alone as some healthcare professionals do, too. (2)
That’s likely why patients and their healthcare
providers like MRI and xrays.
MEDICINE AND SPINAL IMAGING
Interestingly, for years, medicine downplayed the concept
of imaging for spine issues. Today, medicine is more
and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for instance,
treating physicians depend on imaging to determine the severity of it. Specifically, a group
of researchers considered the possibility that imaging helped visualize the relationship between lumbopelvic
alignment and cervical alignment and resulting cervical spine
myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its good points. Your Carrolltown
back pain specialist at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation wants to be sure imaging is appropriate to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ ultimate
recovery and pain relief. We know that “seeing is believing” and
respect what imaging contributes to the treatment plan when needed.
CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Dan Clark on The Back
Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains how
useful imaging can be for a patient’s treatment plan and final
outcome of care.
Schedule your Carrolltown chiropractic appointment at
Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation to understand your back pain and
its relieving treatment plan whether you can see the cause or
not because you definitely already believe you
have pain. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation believes in its relief. You can, too.